Hair curler with retractable comb teeth



Sept. 15, 1964 J. HAYNES ETAL 3,148,685

HAIR CURLER WITH RETRACTABLE COMB TEETH Filed March 30, 1961 Janef E.Haynes f/ar/ey f8. Over/an INVENTORS K75, BY I? 4 77 IVE) 7 UnitedStates Patent 3,148,685 HAIR CURLER WITH RETRACTABLE COMB TEETH Janet E.Haynes and Harley R. Overton, both of 6404 N. Hale Ave, Tampa, Fla.Filed lVIar. 30, 1961, Ser. N 99,542 1 Ciaim. Cl. 132-123 This inventionrelates to hair curlers, and is particularly concerned with devicescharacterized by the provision of a generally cylindrical mandrel overwhich hair locks or strands may be wound to induce a generally spiralset curl in the hair.

While numerous devices have been provided for the retention of a hairlock in curl formation over an mandrel, the securement of the lock onthe mandrel has presented problems not heretofore solved to completesatisfaction. Where external securing means are incorporated with themandrel, problems have arisen not only as to the application and removalof the securing means, but as to the physical construction of thedevices, which frequently involved complicated mechanical constructions.

Simple comb devices, by which the teeth of the comb retain the hair incurl position about the body of the comb, have long since beenfrequently used. However, in such devices considerable dilficulty isexperienced in removing the curl from the teeth of the comb. In suchremoval, the curls frequently are disrupted and substantial manipulationis required to withdraw the comb without destroying the set of the curlformed.

In the present invention, means are provided by which a mandrel isformed to receive the lock in curled formation thereover and comb teethare provided to retain the lock in curled formation. However, asdistinct from conventional combs, the teeth of the present comb areretractable Within the mandrel by a simple withdrawal movement torelease the curl and permit the mandrel to be readily withdrawn from theconvolutions of the curl, without any distortion of the curl in suchremoval.

It will thus be seen that it is among the objects of the presentinvention to provide a novel and improved hair curling device. It is afurther object of the present invention to provide a hair curlerincluding teeth which may engage the hair lock to secure the same incoiled formation about the mandrel during a setting period whileproviding means for withdrawing the comb teeth from engagement with thecurl to permit the mandrel to be readily removed from the convolutionsof the curl, without distortion of the set thereof. More specifically,it is an object of the present invention to provide a curling mandrelfor hair, including retractable comb teeth which may extend from themandrel to engage the hair strand or lock, securing it in curledformation over the mandrel, and which may be withdrawn within themandrel to permit the ready removal thereof without distortion of theset applied to the curl during its setting period on the mandrel.Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from a consideration of the following specificationtaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one preferred form of the presentinvention,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of that form of the inventionshown in FIGURES 1 and 3, taken on lines 2-2 of FIGURE 3,

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the invention taken at right angles from thatdepicted in FIGURE 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of FIG- URE l, and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of 3,148,685 PatentedSept. 15, 1964 one end of the mandrel of the present invention, showinga conventional comb attached thereto.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 refers to the hollow cylindrical mandrelover the left hand outer end of which, as shown in the drawing, the hairlock or strand is to be wound in coil forming manner, while the curl settakes place. The opposite right hand end of the tubular mandrel 10 maybe closed by a simple closure plug 11, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2'and 3,or if desired, the closure plug 11 may be formed with an extendedconventional comb 12, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. It will, of course, beunderstood that the comb 12 may be of any desired form, such forinstance, as a rat-tail type of comb, to facilitate the arranging of thehair after the mandrel is removed, or prior to the application of thestrand to the mandrel.

Within the hollow mandrel tube 10, there is mounted a return bentresilient comb tooth carrier 13. In that form of the invention hereshown, the carrier 13 extends the full length of the tube, having areturn bend at 14, here shown as adjacent plug 11. Forwardly from thereturn bent 14, the legs 15 of the carrier extend the full length of thetube 10, terminating at the opposite, here shown as left hand, end ofthe tube adjacent a closure guide element 16. At the outer left hand endof the legs 15 of the carrier, comb teeth 17 are provided extendinglaterally outward from the ends of the carrier legs to protrude, as inFIGURE 1, from side aperture 18 formed at the left hand end of the tube.Since the carrier is flexible, the legs 15 may. move laterally withrespect to each other to protrude the teeth 17 through the aperture 18to a position shown in FIGURE 1, whereby they may engage the strand orlock of hair circled around the end of the mandrel to secure the same inposition while the hair sets.

Midway intermediate the ends of the tube 10, apertures 20 are providedin line with the apertures 18 from which the comb teeth normallyprotrude when engaging the hair strand. In association with theapertures 20, the legs 15 of the comb carrier are provided with manuallydepressable projections 21, normally extending outwardly through theapertures 20 when the teeth 17 are protruded as in FIGURE 1.

After a strand has been curled about the end of the mandrel to inducecurl formation by the engagement of the teeth 17 therewith, as themandrel is rotated to produce the spiral securement of the strand aboutthe mandrel and retaining the same in place during the setting period,the projections 21 may be depressed to the position illustrated inFIGURE 2, which depression carries with it the legs 15, thus withdrawingthe comb teeth 17 within the confines of the mandrel surface. Forguiding the lateral movements of the comb teeth carrying ends of thelegs 15 of the member 13, the outer closure 16 at the left hand end, asshown in the present drawings, is provided with an inwardly projectionboss 22, recessed on opposite sides as at 23, shown in FIGURE 4, toprovide guide channels for the lateral inward and outward movement ofthe comb carrying ends of the legs 15.

With respect to construction and material of the present device, it willbe understood that both the tube and the comb carrying element lendthemselves admirably to manufacture from plastic material or the like.The device is simple in construction, readily suited to meet the demandsof economic manufacture. The device is easy to apply and remove andhighly eflicient in operation. Obviously, in the practice or" theinvention changes of structure and design may be incorporated and thefull use of equivalents resorted to without departure from the spirit orscope of the invention as outlined in the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A hair curler including a generally cylindrical hollow body defining twoopposed pairs of wall apertures, a generally U-shaped resilient memberWithin said body, combs on one end of said member extending outwardlythere from, the resiliency of said member normally urging said combsoutwardly through one pair of said opposed apertures, manuallydepressible elements on said member extensible through the other pair ofapertures to overcome the resiliency of said member to draw the end ofsaid member inwardly to retract said combs, and a cap on the end of saidbody adjacent the comb teeth having means thereon engageable between theends of said member for 4, guiding the movable comb ends of said memberagainst displacement from registration with its apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 17,103Lewis Apr. 21, 1857 2,244,068 Kay June 3, 1941 2,719,527 Solomon Oct. 4,1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,354 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1892 776,191 FranceOct. 11, 1934

